Dechlorinator
- Thread starter Kasakato
- Start date
I've been using Aquasafe, but I just ordered a 64oz bottle of StressCoat. Like Dave, I only care about the chlorine aspects, not really interested in the Aloe.
So far as I know, the short answer is- not a whole lot. Tetra makes Aquasafe, Aquarium Pharmeceuticals makes Stress Coat. They both remove chlorine and chloramine (chloramine is just broken down into amide compounds similar to ammonium). They both remove heavy metals in the water supply. They also both claim to have ingredients to aid in slime coat production to promote better health, immune response, and faster healing.
As to whether or not one's better than another- I've used them both, and have been equally satisfied with my purchases. I just go for the cheaper of the two, depending on what LFS I am near when I run low.
As to whether or not one's better than another- I've used them both, and have been equally satisfied with my purchases. I just go for the cheaper of the two, depending on what LFS I am near when I run low.
gassing off chlorine
Yes, you can agitate the water with an airstone and in 24 hours the chlorine will be out, but you will want to test before you assume that it is ALL out.
This will not work with chloramine. Should your water company switch without telling you, you would have problems. I've read that chloramine takes a month to break down.
Yes, you can agitate the water with an airstone and in 24 hours the chlorine will be out, but you will want to test before you assume that it is ALL out.
This will not work with chloramine. Should your water company switch without telling you, you would have problems. I've read that chloramine takes a month to break down.
Chlorine related question
I use Stress Coat to dechlorinate my water both in my work tank (5gal FW) and home tank (15Hgal BW). The bottle says that it takes the chlorine out "instantly", but I always stir it for 1- 2 minutes before adding it into the tank. I usually change 1 gal out of the 5 gal at a time, and 5 gal out of the 15 gal at a time.
I haven't had any fish die that I know of as a direct result of a water change like this, but I was wondering if anyone else had a definitive time of how long it takes to remove the chlorine?
I use Stress Coat to dechlorinate my water both in my work tank (5gal FW) and home tank (15Hgal BW). The bottle says that it takes the chlorine out "instantly", but I always stir it for 1- 2 minutes before adding it into the tank. I usually change 1 gal out of the 5 gal at a time, and 5 gal out of the 15 gal at a time.
I haven't had any fish die that I know of as a direct result of a water change like this, but I was wondering if anyone else had a definitive time of how long it takes to remove the chlorine?
It's probably a good time to repeat that not all products that claim effectiveness with chloramine work equally well.
Any dechlorinator will work with chloramines. However, a simple dechlorinator (e.g., the sodium thiosulphate found in most commercial dechlor) will neutralize the chlorine but will also free ammonia. Based on my reading and my experience, the tap water will tend to have somewhere around 1 ppm ammonia after treating with dechlorinator. Examples of this type of dechlorinator are StressCoat and most other dechlorinators.
Another type of treatment for chloramines not only neutralizes the chlorine component of chloramine, but also complexes the freed ammonia so that it is not toxic to fish, but still available to nitrifying bacteria. Amquel, Prime and AmmoLock2 are examples of this type of treatment.
If you do large scale water changes where you add chloraminated water directly to your tank, using the second type of treatment is probably safer. In most other circumstances, a simple dechlorinator will be fine.
Don't know if you have chloramines? Call your water utility!
HTH,
Jim
Any dechlorinator will work with chloramines. However, a simple dechlorinator (e.g., the sodium thiosulphate found in most commercial dechlor) will neutralize the chlorine but will also free ammonia. Based on my reading and my experience, the tap water will tend to have somewhere around 1 ppm ammonia after treating with dechlorinator. Examples of this type of dechlorinator are StressCoat and most other dechlorinators.
Another type of treatment for chloramines not only neutralizes the chlorine component of chloramine, but also complexes the freed ammonia so that it is not toxic to fish, but still available to nitrifying bacteria. Amquel, Prime and AmmoLock2 are examples of this type of treatment.
If you do large scale water changes where you add chloraminated water directly to your tank, using the second type of treatment is probably safer. In most other circumstances, a simple dechlorinator will be fine.
Don't know if you have chloramines? Call your water utility!
HTH,
Jim
I started to mention this earlier. MAny of us do let the chlorine gas off and add water without any treatment. It has worked well for me, but I still keep dechlorinator on hand for times when I need more water than is prepped.
In addition I recently bought a bottle of prime in case of emergency. JSchmidt is dead on target with his cautionary statements. With chloramines you are playing a far more dangerous game with simple dechlorinators. Ammonia and or ammonium is the result, and it may or may not hurt your fish. I try not to tke any such risk with my fish. I bought the prime, becuase if my water company makes a change, or if something else in the tank goes spatic, I am prepared with a good product to handle the problems.
It really is important to either know what is in your water, or use a top end product with a "better safe than sorry " attitude.
So:
If you know you have Chlorine, use any commercial dechlorinator, or let the chlorine gas off
If you know you have Chloramine use Prime Amquel or Ammolock2
If you don't know, and don't want to find out use prime amquel or Ammolock2
Either way, consider products like Stress coat and aquasafe to be nothing more than a simple dechlorinator and don't buy into the hype about their other advertised qualities.
HTH
Dave
I do normally age all my water before use, to allow offgassing of excess dissolved gases and to offgas the chlorine normally used in our water supply. However, our utility reserves the option of using chloramine in periods of need (here most often in summer). So I have to test aged water - if chlorine is negative, test for ammonia. If ammonia is positive, I add Prime.
If I need to use unaged water I can either use Prime without testing, or neutralize the chlorine and test for ammonia, but the simpler practice is just to go on as daveedka does and use Prime to cover both the bases.
If I need to use unaged water I can either use Prime without testing, or neutralize the chlorine and test for ammonia, but the simpler practice is just to go on as daveedka does and use Prime to cover both the bases.
